No. 61, Dec. 13, 2018 
IN POLICY Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor Testified Before Congressional Committee
Click the play button above to watch Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor give her testimony. This past Tuesday, Dec. 11, Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor testified before the House Committee on Energy & Commerce Subcommittee on Environment on U.S. Representatives John Shimkus (R-IL) and Bill Flores's (R-TX) draft legislation which would sunset the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) and replace it with a higher-octane fuel.
In her testimony and during questioning, Skor emphasized to the subcommittee the success of the RFS in creating ethanol demand and achieving its’ goal of providing drivers with a cleaner-burning and more affordable fuel at the pump.
“Today, ethanol is 25 cents less per gallon than gasoline, and was as much as 90 cents lower earlier this year,” said Skor. “The past decade has shown oil companies will actively ignore economic incentives to prevent market entry of higher-ethanol blends.”
“Only by coupling a stable RFS with a significant boost in octane from a mid-level ethanol blend, can consumers realize significant cost savings, increased engine efficiency, and substantial environmental benefits. Unfortunately, this draft as proposed will lead to reduced blending of cleaner biofuel and it will raise costs significantly for American drivers.”
Additionally, Skor noted that while Growth Energy supports many aspects of the draft, it “misses an opportunity to lay out a bold vision for the future of affordable liquid fuels and to make a significant impact – restoring growth in America’s rural communities and carbonizing our nation’s fuel supply.”
For more details, contact Vice President of Government Affairs, John Fuher.
WORKING FOR YOU IN POLICY AROUND THE GLOBE Growth Energy Submits Comments to USTR on Biofuels Trade Objectives for EU Trade AgreementAT THE PUMP Higher-Ethanol Blend Infrastructure GrowingON THE TRACK UPCOMING EVENTS
National Biodiesel Conference
Jan. 24, San Diego, CA Growth Energy Executive Leadership Conference
Feb. 5-9, Palos Verdes, CA IN POLICY Congress Approves 2018 Farm Bill
This week, Congress passed the 2018 Farm Bill, which now heads to the president’s desk for his signature. The current Farm Bill – which was last re-authorized in 2014 - had lapsed this past Sept., and included numerous programs set to expire this month. The legislation passed this week authorizes critical agricultural programs for the next five years, providing much needed certainty and stability for our farmers.
Read more about what’s in the 2018 Farm Bill here. For more details, contact Vice President of Government Affairs, John Fuher.
AROUND THE GLOBE Growth Energy Submits Comments to USTR on Biofuels Trade Objectives for EU Trade Agreement 
On Tuesday, Dec. 10, Growth Energy submitted comments to the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) on the upcoming U.S. - European Union Trade Agreement that addressed reducing trade barriers for ethanol products and ensuring fair trade practice across the board.
Currently, American ethanol producers face significant tariffs depending on the ethanol content level of ethanol fuel shipped to the region. Additionally, the EU has established trade preferences for other individual countries, regional blocs, and trade development programs - all while enacting an anti-dumping/countervailing duty (AD/CVD) on U.S. ethanol exports.
Historically, Europe was a top export destination for American ethanol from 2010 to 2012. When the EU's AD/CVD went into effect in 2013, American producers lost access to an EU market which has seen steady growth in ethanol demand. This demand is only expected to grow over the coming years, as EU ethanol fuel consumption outpaces production through 2023.
A recent study by Growth Energy and the U.S. Grains Council suggests that the EU ethanol market is projected see an increase in net imports of 290 million gallons by 2023, with a potential to peak as high as 850 million gallons in 2020. With the EU's domestic ethanol production unable to meet demand, American-made ethanol deserves fair market access to help bring European drivers the same benefits American drivers enjoy at home.
Our comments concluded by asking the USTR to demand that the EU commit to eliminating tariffs and duties on fuel ethanol, as well as that the EU maintain zero duties on U.S. DDGS and other ethanol co-products. Ensuring fair market access for biofuels and their co-products should be a top priority for USTR to ensure continued economic growth at home and a better environmental outlook across the globe.
To view the comments in full, please visit our website here. For more details, contact Senior Vice President of Global Markets, Craig Willis.
AT THE PUMP Higher Ethanol Blend Infrastructure Growing
The Growth Energy Market Development team attended the annual Society of Independent Gasoline Marketers of America (SIGMA) conference on Nov. 6 and 7 in San Francisco to meet with key fuel marketers from across the country. SIGMA represents more than 50 percent of the total fuel sold in the United States and is the national trade association representing the most successful, progressive, and innovative fuel marketers and chain retailers in the United States and Canada. From its outset, the association has served to further the interests of both the branded and unbranded segment of the industry while providing information and services to members. While there, Growth Energy conducted more than 14 meetings with senior fuel teams who represent more than 1,700 retail sites and sell more than 25 billion gallons of gasoline annually. During these meetings, our team fielded questions regarding E15 being more available in 2019 due to RVP relief. A central goal of Growth Energy is to expand the domestic and international market access for ethanol and its co-products. Events like SIGMA are a central pillar of our efforts to forge new market relationships and expand the availability of E15 and higher blends nationwide.
For more details, contact Vice President of Market Development, Mike O'Brien. 
ON THE TRACK Vote in 'Best RCR Paint Scheme of 2018' Bracket
Voting for this round closes at the end of the day today! Richard Childress Racing (RCR) put together a bracket allowing fans to vote on their favorite RCR paint scheme from the 2018 NASCAR season, and two American Ethanol paint schemes – the Darlington Throwback “Silver Secret” scheme and the patriotic Daytona red, white, and blue scheme – made the list! Both of those paint outs made it past the Round of 32 in fan voting and are currently in the Round of 16. For more details, contact Vice President of Development, Kelly Manning.
The Weekly Rundown is the weekly newsletter for Growth Energy's members. It is published 51 times a year by the communications staff at Growth Energy. For more information, email team@growthenergy.org or visit our website GrowthEnergy.org. You're receiving this newsletter because you've subscribed to Growth Energy's The Weekly Rundown. Not interested anymore? Unsubscribe instantly. Copyright © 2018 Growth Energy. |
